Magic Works
by wanderinglostsoul
Summary: Think the Yule Ball scene in the movie - The crowd was clearing and only a few couples were left dancing to the great song by the Weird Sisters "Magic Works", and this is my take on Albus and Minerva being amongst those few left...


A/N: I don't know if anyone has written a songfic for ADMM with this song yet but I really love the lyrics – they make me tear every time I listen to the song, so I'm going to give it a shot! I know there are many people who say that the lyrics fit Ron and Hermione perfectly but when I look at them closely I think they really fit Albus and Minerva as well, especially when we think of what happens after GoF, leading all the way up to HBP. There are so many great Yule Ball ADMM fics out there that I don't know why I even try to add on to the stack anymore. But I kind of wanted to take it down the darker road without the common bit of fluff that we all love because the wizarding world was on the verge of being thrown into complete darkness again by then, and as I wrote I couldn't help but include dramatic stuff that was non-dance-related so I'm sorry if I kind of missed the whole point about the Yule Ball in the end!

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Ms. J.K. Rowling!

**Magic Works**

"_This one's going out to all __the lovers out there… hold each other tight… and keep each other warm…"_

Albus Dumbledore's ears perked up when he heard the Weird Sisters ready to strike up their final song, and his eyes scanned frantically over the scattered crowd for one Minerva McGonagall.

And soon his eyes found her (for indeed the crowd had dispersed and most of the students had either gone up to bed or taken to the rose bushes for their after-dance activities), committed to her duty of hosting their guests and entertaining them till the very last minute of the Ball. She was handling a half-drunk Ludo Bagman skillfully with light but smart responses to his half-baked arguments on the subject of Quidditch, while at the same time, reassuring his old friend, a conservative Ministry official Perkins, on the topic of the Triwizard Tournament being held in Hogwarts.

He moved closer in her direction, and detected her characteristically ever-polite but firm voice addressing the Ministry wizard "I cannot promise you that there will be no injuries or even casualties at this year's tournament Perkins, but what I can assure you is that Albus and I, and of course the whole staff of Hogwarts, will put our best efforts into making the tournament as safe as it can be for the champions…"

He smiled as he thought of her absolute loyalty and dedication to the school. This was Minerva – always there for everyone who needed her, always dependably, solidly present… and she had been so ever since he first knew her when she started out as a tiny first-year in Hogwarts, one amongst the many of his first batch of students in his teaching career.

Not wanting to waste any more precious final moments of the Ball, he strode up to her quickly to guide her away from the quirky pair of Ministry wizards. In a polite but firm manner, just as Minerva had done so, he addressed Perkins "I'm sorry my dear old friend, but may I ask you to escort Ludo up to his rooms to rest now for he seems to have already fully enjoyed the events of tonight? It would hardly be appropriate for Minerva here to do so and I would do it myself if not for the fact that I have to watch over the last bits of chatter and merry-making all around…" With a raise of an eyebrow and a look of dawning realization, Perkins gave him a curt nod and swept Ludo Bagman swiftly away without another word. Albus gave him a small smile before leading Minerva towards the dance floor. Minerva gave him a questioning look.

"The last dance, my dear professor! If I recall correctly, we are supposed to be dance partners although inadvertently, after the first dance, we had to separate from each other for most of the Ball to attend to guests and other colleagues alike… Minerva, would you honour me with the last dance of the Yule Ball this year?"

Minerva looked up at her superior in mild but pleasant surprise. Although they had attended a countless number of Ball events together over the years and it had always been tradition for them to share the first and the last dance of every event together even if they were to be separated in between because of their respective roles and duties, she had not really expected him to remember their little routine for there had not been a festive event for them to attend together in recent years. She was simply glad that he had remembered it after all – it meant that their longtime partnership had indeed meant something to him, and whether their partnership had meant anything to him at all was something that had been bothering her for a while now, for he seemed to be showing less confidence – well, sharing less secrets with her now than before.

Minerva remembered the times before the Order was formed, before the Second Wizarding War, where they, she and Albus, had nobody but each other to rely on when crises struck the wizarding world. They had fought Grindelwald together in the First Wizarding War – she was his apprentice then and he had not felt comfortable enough to divulge any part of his past with the dark wizard to anyone but her. She had helped him to overcome his emotional barriers, single-handedly obtained invaluable information for him in her Animagus form and had helped him in his strategy to subdue the ghost of his past once and for all. Shortly after, the giants had started a rampage and a rebellion at the outskirts of their world and she had been at the frontline with him dealing and negotiating with them, persuading them to control themselves, while treating the injured at the same time. And then, when Rudolph Henderson became the Minister of Magic and began a tyranny on the rest of their fellow wizarding community, she had been Albus's fierce supporter and companion in their fight against the brutal ways of the Ministry, while faithfully filling in his duties for him at school when he was away dealing with that mindless dictator. When Voldemort began to rise and Albus had finally decided to form a secret association to counter the dark forces, she was the first person he had informed and she had risen to the occasion strongly, scouting out worthy members for him, devising strategies for their counter-efforts, and again, obtaining information with her transforming skills.

Well really, "nobody but each other" might have been too much of a description for their relationship, for they knew that they had loyal friends in their colleagues especially Filius Flitwick, Pomona Sprout and Poppy Pomfrey who had also been at Hogwarts for a long time, and of course old friends such as Elphias Doge and Alastor Moody who were always ready to lend a helping hand when the need arose. But essentially, in their younger years, it had always been them both – just the both of them. For their relationship to have somehow faltered in these recent years…well maybe, she was really just getting old and Albus needed stronger, younger wizards and witches to aid him in the Second War this time round. After all, her hair was no longer the ravishing raven-black that it once used to be and although kinder counterparts might have complimented her on "ageing gracefully", she could not deny that her once youthful and determined face was now covered with unsightly wrinkles.

She smiled at him. "Of course, Albus. How could I ever deny you of anything at all?" And with her answer, they linked arms and walked briskly over to join the last few lingering couples on the dance floor who were ready to immerse themselves into their last jingle of the day. Peering over Albus's shoulder, Minerva spotted Fred and Angelina, her sixth-year lions dancing closely together, and smiled. What a fine couple those two would make one day! If the older Weasley twin was serious in his pursuit of his charming Quidditch teammate in any case… Then her gaze swept across the dance floor and lingered for a brief moment over Neville and Ginny, another pair of her lions, basking in their newfound friendship. Again, she smiled warmly, glad to see that Neville had found confidence in yet another activity beyond tending to plants, flowers and herbs. At the corner of her eye, she saw Hagrid and Madame Maxime swaying in close embrace, with an intoxicated Hagrid leaning right into Madam Maxime's bosom and sliding his hand down her frame in a most inappropriate manner before being chided lightly by her. She almost laughed out loud at this scene, for it was both a little amusing and yet at the same time, she could not help but feel very happy for the both of them who had recently found love and companionship in their same kind. She remembered when it had first been announced earlier that year that the Yule Ball would take place during Christmas as per Triwizard tradition, Barty Crouch had advised that it was customary for Albus, as head of Hogwarts, to invite Madam Maxime, a lady counterpart of one of their partner-schools, as his dance partner to the Ball. But Albus had insisted on his own way and decided to bring her, as usual, instead. She was worried then, of offending a fellow esteemed personage of the academic arena, but luckily Hagrid stepped in and saved them all from further complexities and awkwardness, and of course, Madame Maxime was only too glad to oblige.

Albus chuckled lightly in good humour at the sight of the two half-giants, but gently brought Minerva back to their own world, guiding her shoulders and leading her gaze with his own so that their gazes landed on each other once more. "My dear, the dance is starting…" and upon his words, the song began.

"_And dance your final dance  
This is your final chance  
To hold the one you love  
You know you've waited long enough"  
_

Minerva struggled at first to keep up with Albus's steps for she had allowed her thoughts to wander somewhere too far away just before the dance started, but her attention perked up a little upon hearing the lyrics of the starting stanza of the song. She frowned a little, pondering on the meaning behind the words. The word 'final' had been repeated one too often, and that was slightly disturbing to her at the moment, what with all the increasingly dark and suspicious on goings affecting the school and the wizarding world in recent times.

"_So, believe  
That magic works  
Don't be afraid  
Of being hurt  
Don't let this magic dies  
The answer's there  
Oh, just look in her eyes"_

Albus, who had known the song list of the Weird Sisters for he had hired them, glanced at Minerva meaningfully. He wondered if she would understand…

For Albus, Minerva was his prized student and apprentice who learnt from him, then colleague and deputy who assisted him in all areas, but also the lover, soulmate, and dare he dream – spouse, that he never had. In his youth, he had been a genius student with powers that Hogwarts had never seen since the time of the founders themselves, and that very fact, coupled with his thirst and ambition to excel even further, brought him close to Gellert Grindelwald, a foreign wizard and a fellow legendary great mind. And as the tale goes, they had spent two fantastic, feverish, mind-boggling months together before tragedy struck and Albus was robbed of his last two remaining family members; one through mortal peril, the other through eternal unforgiveness. He then sunk into endless despair; the once brilliant, unequalled mind now tainted and burdened with more than an ocean of guilt, anger, regret, and many of the other darkest emotions that would crush the soul of the best of men. He spent years after ploughing aimlessly through mountains of research and being the genius that he is, was able to produce decent results even without having put his best foot forward, such as discovering the twelve uses of dragon blood. But in truth, he was a lost man.

And then Armando Dippet, his old teacher and good friend, had asked for his help to aid the then-understaffed Hogwarts, and he thought it might do himself good to once again be surrounded and influenced by innocent young minds and their bountiful positive energy, and so he pulled himself together and returned to his alma-mater to teach. Amongst the first batch of students he was to teach included Minerva, a talented witch who very much like himself, excelled in Transfiguration and Ancient Magic. He grew very fond of her over the years for she exuded a sense of strength and charm well beyond her age, and possessed an immense amount of courage exemplary of a Gryffindor. They spent an increasing amount of time together as the years went by, and at the end of her fifth year, she had angrily confronted him over why he wouldn't face Grindelwald when everyone knew that he was their only chance of ever defeating the dark wizard. He couldn't blame her; Gellert had after all robbed her of her whole family, distant relatives included, in her second year. Under her intense interrogation and fierce vow to support and see him through his battle with Gellert should he consent to take up the challenge, he finally broke down and told her all about his past. He thought that she'd have thought of him as a flimsy weakling after that and would no longer respect him as a teacher or want to be close to him as a friend, but contrary to his expectations, she showed again a level of maturity and understanding well beyond her years, and she put her promises into action. She helped him to recover from his emotional trauma and snuck out of school with him in her last two years of schooling, helping him prepare for his final battle against Gellert. She had blossomed into a relatively powerful witch by then and further enhanced by her Animagus skills and vast knowledge of Ancient Magic, was of immeasurable help to him. And he, as a young teacher then, had more of an adventurous spirit and less of a regard for the rules and regulations and had thought less about the fact that Minerva was still a student and strictly speaking, not allowed to be involved in such dangerous activities. In his final battle with Gellert, he was struck by a fatal blow and if she had not arrived in time to heal him through a powerful sacrificial ancient spell, he might have never survived that attack. Many years later, she taught that very spell to one of her own prodigies Lily Evans, and he had always suspected that she would half-regret it for the rest of her life for she was so very close to Lily indeed.

Albus Dumbledore is the greatest wizard of modern times, but nobody ever knew that he would scarcely be so if he hadn't had Minerva McGonagall with him through it all.

"_And make your final move  
Don't be scared, she want you too  
Yeah, it's hard, you must be brave  
Don't let this moment slip away..."  
_

Minerva was now peering into his eyes trying to search for a hint; any clue, of what was going on in his mind. To respond to that, he bent down and kissed her passionately on her lips – something he had always had wanted to do ever since she saved him in his final battle with Grindelwald.

"_Now, believe  
That magic works  
Don't be afraid  
Afraid of being hurt  
Don't, don't let this magic dies  
The answer's there  
Oh, just look in her eyes"_

She was shocked he knew, beyond words, but he was glad to feel her returning the kiss a few moments later. Around them, the last few remaining couples on the dance floor had all stopped to stare. Neville Longbottom's eyes were as round as a goldfish's and he was gaping as wide as his mouth could stretch. Beside him, Ginny Weasley had her hands pressed to her cheeks in complete petrification and her face was even redder than her flaming red hair, if that was possible. Her older brother Fred was still trying to dance with Angelina, albeit now totally out of rhythmn, but he was grinning half-mischievously as he exclaimed "Wicked!" with Angelina wearing a dazed kind of half-grin, clutching at his hands aimlessly. Madame Maxime let out a gasp for her dear life, but Hagrid only smiled, now seeming to have completely snapped out of his intoxication, with a few fat tears leaking from his eyes.

"_And don't believe that magic can die  
No, no, no, this magic can't die"_

Minerva's mind was in a whirl. What was going on? Albus…was this really Albus here, kissing her so passionately? As if they were… as if they were… all that they never were. She immersed herself into the last few moments of the kiss, feeling the true depth of Albus's emotions enveloping, engulfing her…and then there, it was over._  
_  
"_So dance your final dance  
'Cause this is  
Your final chance"_

They broke off, momentarily pausing, staring into each other's eyes. Albus's eyes had lost their twinkle and they were overcast by a look of utmost graveness, utmost regret, utmost concern…and dare she whisper, a trace of love and longing that was never meant to be? Her eyes narrowed, not out of scorn, anger or worry as they usually were so when she was infuriated by misbehaving students or idiotic adult counterparts, but to fight back the tears that were threatening to well up as they always did in such extremely rare, intense moments with Albus over the years. But never once did those tears fall and it would be the same this time, even if it was, indeed, the _final_ time. She blinked, steeled herself in that split-second of a blink, and looked up again at Albus with a warm smile, one that she had always kept especially for him. She saw that the trademark twinkle of his had returned to his eyes as well.

They had reached an understanding.

Their world was going to be thrown into the darkest, deepest and most treacherous torrents once more and when the worst came, they were ready to face it together again, as they had already done so countless times throughout their whole life. They swayed to the final beats of the song, holding each other tight, ignoring all the stares that were still coming their way, drinking in each other's company in quiet fervour for they knew that the particular bit of magic they had just experienced tonight would never once again come by.


End file.
